Mal of America

Can y’all recommend me any good books to read this summer? I’m looking for some can’t-put-it-down page-turners and/or lighthearted beach reads.

Anonymous asked: I certainly hope that this doesn't come off as rude or imposing but how do you afford all of the cute clothes that you buy? Do you search extensively for bargains? Do you thrift often? I've noticed that many of your outfits feature pieces from J. Crew or Brooks Brothers or Ann Taylor and more often than not I've found their clothes to be a bit expensive. Would you happen to have any tips? I love your style and your blog! (:

I really don’t shop that often since I started college. So a lot of my clothes are ones I bought with babysitting money in high school, or birthday/Christmas presents from my parents. My friends and I thrifted obsessively in high school; I still thrift occasionally now but I haven’t found any really good thrift stores here in Nashville yet. 

Now I spend very little money - I have my paychecks direct deposited so I’m not tempted to stray from my budget. When I do shop, I hit up sales and outlets. I just bought some new shoes from the Gap outlet (on sale for under $20) as a reward to myself for making straight A’s this semester.

My tips are to watch for good sales, shop at outlets, use a student discount if you can, try to find a consistently good thrift store (ie a Goodwill near a nice neighborhood), and put some effort into making new looks with the clothes you already have.